How Real Moms Get Through Their Morning Routine

Getting kids ready in the morning for school and daycare can be very difficult—we all know how real the struggle is. So I decided to reach out to other moms for tips to help find the best way possible to get the job done.

I asked fellow moms their advice on how to hustle in the morning and found one common denominator: routine. Being able to create a consistent routine in the morning will get children moving faster because they will know what to do, even from a very young age.

I recently had the pleasure of meeting Jess Brady and we bonded over the ins and outs of single motherhood and the amazing learning curves that come with it.

“I've never been good at routine, because I am very spontaneous by nature,” explains Brandy. “So once I had a child it took me longer to figure out how important specific rituals are in the morning and at night. The big key player is to make sure that I'm ready for work in the morning before my daughter even wakes up.”

It is difficult to develop a routine when you become a parent and it takes a lot of trial and error. I had to test out several different routines before settling on one that suited mine and my daughter’s needs. Similar to Brady, I have to make sure I am completely ready to go prior to waking my daughter up, to ease the stress of the morning schedule.

With two kids in tow, the importance of a specific routine and schedule seems to become even more paramount. Julia Jamrichko is a long-time friend and a parent of two children.

“I keep a constant time frame for the morning during the week, and we I’ll always get ready for breakfast at the same time,” says Jamrichko. “I never let the two of them in bathroom to brush their teeth at the same time because it will never get done, they will just play.”

Instead, Jamrichko recommends separating the kids—while one child is brushing teeth, the other brushes her hair to keep the routine rolling. In the time when Jamrichko does their hair, she also takes it as a moment of bonding with each child and asks about what they are looking forward to in school each day.

Positive bonding each morning is a great way to start the day with your kids and creates a happy moment together amidst the morning bustle.

Another key difference between the morning routine is preparing the night prior or getting ready in the morning. I find I have to have lunches and even have clothes set out the night prior because I am not a morning person. I need to make the early days before school as easy as possible or I will not run on time.

Brady is also a master of the night and prepares as much as possible in night beforehand. “Once she's asleep I try to get as much ready for the next day as I can: my clothes, her clothes, and meals. I also shower at night so I don't wake her in the morning,” she says. Brady is also a believer of breakfast on the go unless her daughter wants oatmeal or cereal which are eaten at the table to make things easier.

On the other hand, Jamrichko is a morning bird and enjoys preparing lunches and clothes when she wakes up an hour prior to her kids. She enjoys this morning time to herself. I only wish I had this ability but will instead sleep until the very last moment if I can.

Gathering tips from other mothers helps me to realize that there are many ways to create a morning routine that works for different families. As long as a pattern develops that helps you get out the door on time and without a fight, then it works.

As Brady wisely puts it, “The important things is to be predictable enough with your child that there will always be certain things that comfort them but flexible enough that you don't drive yourself crazy.”